A girl inspects a flat-headed snake she found in her yard. These common, harmless snakes feed primarily on worms, grubs, scorpions, spiders and other terrestrial invertebrates.

A girl inspects a flat-headed snake she found in her yard. These common, harmless snakes feed primarily on worms, grubs, scorpions, spiders and other terrestrial invertebrates.

Photo: Andy Gluesenkamp, Courtesy

Image 4 of 22

An Eastern hog-nosed snake tries to bluff his way out of an unwanted encounter by flaring his hood, rattling his tail and looking tough. The only organisms that have reason to fear this snake, however, are toads. less

An Eastern hog-nosed snake tries to bluff his way out of an unwanted encounter by flaring his hood, rattling his tail and looking tough. The only organisms that have reason to fear this snake, however, are ... more

Photo: Andy Gluesenkamp, Courtesy

Image 5 of 22

This large Texas rat snake was found with a golf ball lodged in its digestive tract after mistaking the ball for a chicken egg. After surgery and three weeks of antibiotics, it was released. It was encountered several months later, healthy and growing, said herpetologist Andy Gluesenkamp. less

This large Texas rat snake was found with a golf ball lodged in its digestive tract after mistaking the ball for a chicken egg. After surgery and three weeks of antibiotics, it was released. It was encountered ... more

Photo: Andy Gluesenkamp, Courtesy

Image 6 of 22

The broad-banded copperhead is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

The broad-banded copperhead is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

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The black-tailed rattlesnake is also found in the San Antonio area.

The black-tailed rattlesnake is also found in the San Antonio area.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 8 of 22

The cottonmouth water moccasin is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

The cottonmouth water moccasin is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 9 of 22

The desert king snake is nonvenomous.

The desert king snake is nonvenomous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 10 of 22

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a familiar venomous snake in Texas, particularly in dry, rocky areas.

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a familiar venomous snake in Texas, particularly in dry, rocky areas.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 11 of 22

The Texas glossy snake is nonvenomous.

The Texas glossy snake is nonvenomous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 12 of 22

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a familiar venomous snake in Texas, particularly in dry, rocky areas.

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a familiar venomous snake in Texas, particularly in dry, rocky areas.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 13 of 22

The broad-banded copperhead is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

The broad-banded copperhead is one of the venomous snakes found in Texas.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 14 of 22

The coachwhip is a nonvenomous Texas snake.

The coachwhip is a nonvenomous Texas snake.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 15 of 22

The rat snake feeds primarily on rats.

The rat snake feeds primarily on rats.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 16 of 22

A rough green snake, a nonvenomous species, blends with tree leaves.

A rough green snake, a nonvenomous species, blends with tree leaves.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 17 of 22

The eastern hognose snake is nonvenomous.

The eastern hognose snake is nonvenomous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 18 of 22

The Eastern hognose snake flares its hood to be menacing, but it is nonvenomous.

The Eastern hognose snake flares its hood to be menacing, but it is nonvenomous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

Image 19 of 22

The diamondback water snake frightens people with its patterning, but it is nonvenomous.

The diamondback water snake frightens people with its patterning, but it is nonvenomous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

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The blotched water snake is not poisonous.

The blotched water snake is not poisonous.

Photo: Blaine Eaton, Courtesy

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The checkered garter snake is nonpoisonous, like most of the snakes in Texas.

The checkered garter snake is nonpoisonous, like most of the snakes in Texas.

SAN ANTONIO — Both deluge and drought bring snakes out where they're likely to cross paths with humans, something both the snakes and the people usually don't enjoy.

Because our weather often swings between bone dry and sudden saturation, we're likely to be surprised by the slithering creatures. Usually, it's best just to let them go on their way.

Andy Gluesenkamp, a Texas Parks and Wildlife State herpetologist, said flooding displaces snakes from their homes and, from there, they seek dry land.

“Certainly when we have flooding, you can experience situations where you have displaced wildlife,” Gluesenkamp said. “It just makes sense that we would have more snake encounters.”

When they get washed up out of their homes after a flood, people might catch a glimpse of one of the five venomous snakes found in Bexar County: the coral snake, copperhead, cottonmouth water moccasin, Western diamondback rattlesnake and timber rattlesnake. The vast majority of the 113 species of snakes found in Texas, however, are nonvenomous.

Snakes play an important part in the ecosystem in Texas. They often follow their food — usually rodents — and water sources into residential areas.

More Information

Who can help

Wildlife specialists can help remove or discourage snakes. Some resources:

The rat snake commonly lives in attics year-round, providing free rodent control. Rat snakes often frighten homeowners because they are big and their patterns resemble that of rattlesnakes at first glance.

Eaton said 90 percent of the snake calls he receives are for the Texas rat snake.

More calls about rattlesnakes come from the rocky Hill Country toward Bandera. Eaton said he rarely receives calls about venomous snakes inside Loop 410.

Lynn Cuny, founder of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, said that during drought, neighborhood critters such as snakes will seek food and water. Often, she said, homeowners will put out bird baths and unintentionally attract snakes.

Snakes can be found slithering toward swimming pools, bird baths and even pets' water bowl. For that reason, Eaton recommends putting water bowls for pets inside.

A tidy lawn is the one of the best ways to discourage snakes from hanging around the backyard. The creatures like to nest in dark, small spaces, such as in piles of firewood and under sheds.

Eaton advises keeping hedges trimmed and eliminating hiding places.

Residents of mobile homes should have sound skirting around the bottom of the structure. Condensation can build up under the house and create pools, which will attract snakes.

If snakes are a bother, there are products that can be used to repel them.

Remmey said many experts use ammonia to flush out rattlesnakes.

Snakes are bothered by the smell of ammonia, and they will vacate an area because of it. However, too much of the product will kill them.

Another repellant is Dr. T's Snake Away, a combination of sulfur and mothballs in pellet form. A 4-pound bag costs about $15.

Sometimes humans are bothered by the strong smells, too, and because of that, Remmey recommends Havahart, which has a strong cinnamon smell.

If you spot a snake in a residential area, the best response is to let it be. If the snake isn't bothered, it isn't likely to hurt a human.

Eaton said the majority of the time, those who get bitten by a snake provoked the attack by approaching or intimidating it.

“Even the venomous kinds are not going to bother you if you don't bother them,” Cuny said. “They are trying to just stay alive.”

If you can't simply walk the other way, call an expert to remove the snake.

bkerr@express-news.net

Twitter: @breannafkerr

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